7
Bahran got up and started to leave the meeting with Harbin and Jedriek.Jedriek was still wondering out loud to himself why he couldn't compare the pretty princesses to the pleasure women on Disguised Serenity.
He just wanted to get away.He kept his face neutral in the meeting and was thankful that it was not known that he was the contact for the Terran Empire.It bothered him a great deal to think that he was the one that the Imperial Princess contacted.
Not that he didn't want to talk to her.He appreciated and enjoyed her conversations.She was gorgeous to look upon.Unlike the first time they spoke, she would not cover her face now, so he got to see all of her facial structure, including the shape of her lips.
Why that shape fascinated him, he didn't know, but it did.He would find himself almost mesmerized by the way her mouth moved.The very idea seemed wrong to him, but he could not seem to stop the sensations, regardless of his intent.
He had to maintain his goal--to get the prisoners of war back, to return their people back to Sol.Give them a chance to be free cyborgs again.He owed them that.
Though what would be left after their time in confinement, he couldn't imagine.Would they be able to operate at peak efficiency, or would they be permanently damaged?He didn't know.Even Master System could not speculate since they had no connection to the network.He hoped that Master System was right, and they could re-connect into the system and move forward.
Still, it was his responsibility to get them home.
"Bahran," Harbin said.
He turned."Yes?"
"Are you well?"
"Why would I not be?"he asked.Was something wrong?Did he have a malfunction?
"You seemed to be operating at less than focused attention.
"Why do you say so?"
"Some of the other cyborgs on your duty list speak of you taking communications when working, with no explanation of what they are."
Bahran nodded.
"Do you deny this?"
He shook his head."No."
"Then are you well?Do I need to know about anything?"
Bahran glanced back at the hologram that showed the two princesses."The one with the dark eyes is the Imperial Princess, Caoimhe.The other is her sister, Eleanor."
"Why do you know this?"
"Because I am Princess Caoimhe's contact point for the peace negotiations."
Harbin nodded."And why are you the point of contact?"
"Because I received information that Master System felt I needed to contact the Imperial Princess with."
"How long ago was this?"
"Before the peace treaty was established."
Harbin did not say anything, but he smiled.Almost."Are you responsible for this?For bringing an end to this war?"
"I am responsible for trying to get our people home."
Harbin nodded."May your protocols align with your programming, then."
Bahran nodded.
